The present invention relates to camera systems utilizing print on demand printers and in particular discloses a camera with a detachable printer engaged via a PCMCIA slot.
It is known for digital cameras to have PC card interfaces of the PCMCIA slot type for Flash memory cards and other forms of digital storage. The Flash cards are typically removed from the camera after being loaded with images and used to transfer those images to a personal computer (PC) or other similar device for printing and possibly for image manipulation.
There are, however, many advantages in xe2x80x98print on demandxe2x80x99 type cameras where the image can be produced from the camera either at the time of taking the photograph or at a later time convenient to the operator.
The inventor of the present invention has also developed a compact portable printer which is directly engageable with the PCMCIA slot in a lap top or notebook computer and that printer is the subject of a co-pending U.S. patent application claiming priority from Australian Patent Application No. PP7019 having a priority date of Nov. 9, 1998. The present invention enables a printer of this type to be utilized in a further situation by incorporation into a print on demand camera.
The present invention therefore provides a camera device comprising:
a camera having a lens for viewing images, an image sensor for sensing a said image viewed by the lens, image processing means for processing a said image sensed by the image sensor, and a first PCMCIA interface configured to receive a signal from the image processing means; and
a printer unit detachably engaged with the camera so that, when so engaged, the printer unit as a whole and the camera as a whole are substantially immovable relative to each other, the printer unit including
a second PCMCIA interface engaged with the first PCMCIA interface so as to be capable of receiving a said signal from the first PCMCIA interface,
a paper cartridge configured for holding a plurality of individual pages,
a page-width ink jet printhead, and
a paper feed configured to feed one page at a time, from the cartridge past the printhead to enable printing, on the page, by the printhead, of an image corresponding to a said signal received by the second PCMCIA interface. A further aspect of the invention provides a camera device comprising:
a camera having a lens for viewing images, an image sensor for sensing a said image viewed by the lens, image processing means for processing a said image sensed by the image sensor, and a first PCMCIA interface configured to receive a signal from the image processing means; and
a printer unit detachably engaged with the camera so that, when so engaged, the printer unit as a whole and the camera as a whole are substantially immovable relative to each other,
the printer unit having a second PCMCIA interface engaged with the first PCMCIA interface so as to be capable of receiving a said signal from the first PCMCIA interface,
wherein the printer unit is configured to fit within a space conforming to a space occupied by a type III PCMCIA card.